Cancel a pending friend request in three steps

Open Facebook and go to your profile. Click the "Friends" button near the top of your profile, then select "Friend Requests" from the dropdown menu. Find the person whose request you want to cancel, hover over the "Cancel Request" button (it appears where the "Add Friend" button was), and click it. The request disappears immediately.

If you cannot find the "Friends" button on your profile, you may be on an older version of Facebook or using the mobile app. On mobile, tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right, scroll to "Friends," tap "Friend Requests," and swipe left on the request you want to cancel. A red "Cancel" option appears — tap it to confirm.

Once you cancel, the other person will not receive a notification that you did so. They will simply see that the friend request is no longer pending. You can send them a new request later if you change your mind.

Key Takeaways

  • Canceling a friend request takes seconds and requires only your profile, the Friends menu, and one click on the Cancel Request button.
  • The person you cancel will not be notified, and the request simply disappears from their pending list.
  • You can send a new request to the same person at any time after canceling the first one.
  • On mobile, swipe left on the request in your Friend Requests list to reveal the cancel option.
  • Canceling is different from unfriending — it only removes a request that has not yet been accepted.

Why you might cancel a friend request

You may send a friend request by accident, to the wrong person, or to someone you later decide you do not want to connect with. Canceling is faster and cleaner than waiting for them to decline it, and it keeps your outgoing requests from piling up.

If you sent a request to someone and they have not responded in weeks or months, canceling clears it from your list so you can see which requests are actually pending. This is useful if you are trying to keep track of who you have reached out to and who has already accepted.

The difference between canceling, declining, and unfriending

Canceling a friend request means you are taking back a request you sent. Declining a friend request means someone else sent you a request and you are saying no. Unfriending means you are removing someone who is already your friend.

All three actions are reversible — you can send a new request to someone after canceling or declining, and you can add someone back after unfriending them. None of these actions block the person or prevent them from seeing your public posts.

What happens after you cancel

The request vanishes from both your outgoing list and their incoming list. They will not see a notification about it. If they visit your profile, they will see the "Add Friend" button again instead of "Cancel Request," as if you had never sent the request in the first place.

The person can still message you, see your public posts, and interact with your content. Canceling a friend request does not change any of those settings — it only removes the pending connection.

How to find requests you have already sent

Go to your profile and click "Friends." Select "Friend Requests" from the menu. You will see two tabs: "Received" (requests other people sent you) and "Sent" (requests you sent that are still pending). Click "Sent" to see all the friend requests you have not yet canceled or that have not been accepted.

If the "Sent" tab is empty, it means all your outgoing requests have either been accepted or canceled. This is a good way to check whether someone has accepted your request or if it is still waiting for them to respond.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I canceled my friend request?

No. Facebook does not send a notification when you cancel a request. The person will simply see that the request is no longer in their pending list. If they check your profile, they will see the "Add Friend" button again.

Can I cancel a friend request on mobile?

Yes. Open the Facebook app, tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right, go to "Friends," then "Friend Requests." Tap the "Sent" tab to see requests you have sent. Swipe left on the request you want to cancel and tap the red "Cancel" button that appears.

What if I cancel a request and then want to send it again?

You can send a new request to the same person at any time. Go to their profile, click "Add Friend," and send the request again. There is no waiting period or limit on how many times you can send a request to the same person.

Is canceling a request the same as blocking someone?

No. Canceling a request only removes the pending connection. The person can still see your public posts, message you, and send you a new friend request. Blocking is a separate action that prevents someone from seeing your profile or contacting you.

Can I cancel multiple friend requests at once?

Facebook does not have a bulk cancel feature. You must cancel each request individually by clicking or swiping on the "Cancel Request" button for each person. If you have many requests to cancel, you will need to go through them one at a time.